It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 45-26-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-26 entitled "Town Housing Authorities" is hereby amended to read as follows:

45-26-4. Appointment, terms, and compensation of commissioners -- (a) When the town council adopts a resolution creating a town authority, the town council shall appoint five (5) persons as commissioners of the town authority.; provided, however, that the town of Lincoln shall appoint seven (7) persons as commissioners of the town authority. The commissioners who are first appointed shall be designated to serve for terms of one, two (2), three (3), four (4), and five (5) years, respectively, from the date of their appointment, but, thereafter, commissioners shall be appointed for a term of office of five (5) years, except that all vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term, those appointments to be made by the town council.

Provided, however, that the commission members of the town authority of the town of Lincoln must be residents of the town of Lincoln during the term of their appointment. Provided, further, that at least one of the commission members of a town authority must be a resident as well as a resident of a public housing facility during the term of their appointment. A public housing resident commissioner shall be appointed by the appointing authority from a list of nominees chosen in open election by the occupants of public housing. Upon the failure of the election process, there shall be a provision for an application process. Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing the appointing authority more than one resident of public housing to the commission.

(b) A commissioner of the town of North Providence receives twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per meeting but not in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) per year as compensation for his or her services; provided, that a commissioner of the town of Coventry only receives twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per attended meeting but not in excess of six hundred dollars ($600) per year as compensation for his or her services, provided, further, that the chairperson of the Coventry housing authority receives thirty-five dollars ($35.00) per attended meeting but not in excess of eight hundred forty dollars ($840) per year as compensation for his or her services.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.